Your high schoolers may be tabula rasa about political theory until they learn about John Locke. Use a thought-provoking video to teach them about his philosophies on the natural rights of all humans, religious tolerance, and of course, the concept of tabula rasa.

Concepts

john locke, religious tolerance, tabula rasa, natural rights, human rights, property rights

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask pupils to write a persuasive essay arguing for or against Locke's views
• Flip your classroom by assigning learners to watch the video as homework before discussion during class time

Classroom Considerations

• The fourth in a series of 13 exploring government
• May need to censor some images 

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• The narration uses charismatic language and speaks in an interesting way, keeping the attention of even the most distracted students
• Appeals to many learning styles
• Connections made to philosophy, education, and psychology create the potential for an integrated lesson

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.7 RH.9-10.9 RH.11-12.7 RH.11-12.9